honorary doctorate News

Throughout his career, Edward O. Wilson has discovered more than 450 ant species and is now regarded as the founder of sociobiology. Today, UT awarded him the Honorary Doctor of Science and Letters degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the College of Arts and Sciences during the fall commencement ceremony. This is the eighth honorary degree the university has granted.

It’s tassel time in Tennessee with 1,747 undergraduate, graduate, and law students set to don mortarboards and receive their degrees from UT this week. Graduate hooding will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, December 12, and the undergraduate commencement ceremony will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 13. During Saturday’s ceremony, an honorary degree will be awarded to Edward O. Wilson, who is considered the founder of sociobiology and the world’s leading authority on ants.

Edward O. Wilson, who is considered the world’s leading authority on ants and the founder of sociobiology, will receive an honorary degree from UT at the Spring 2014 Commencement. The Board of Trustees on Friday approved plans to honor Wilson, who studied at UT for a short time in the 1950s, with an Honorary Doctor of Science and Letters in ecology and evolutionary biology.